A national online survey* has determined that 52% of rail passengers have been prevented from working at some time during their commute, interfering with their ability to check emails, stay in touch with clients and colleagues or access files remotely.
The quality of mobile phone service has been an issue for some time, whether it’s from a train or a car – sometimes, it’s an issue if you’re in the middle of London. A keynoter at an industry conference a couple of years ago wondered why there was so much fuss about 5G communications when it was still impossible to maintain a 2G call in many circumstances.
Many of those rail commuters responding to the survey held similar views; only 33% of commuters said their mobile phone service was ‘good enough’, while 24% said it was ‘poor’.
But will things get better? Will mobile phone providers be motivated to put 5G kit alongside railway lines or will they be more interested in servicing the needs of those in cities and towns?
The snail’s pace of the broadband roll out may suggest that rail commuters shouldn’t hold their breath when it comes to improvements in mobile phone service.
* The survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cobham Wireless.
